The at home cleaning of teeth and massaging of gums have long been recommended by dentists. As the importance of cleaning hard-to-reach places has been realized, various devices have been proposed for cleaning or massaging these areas. Perhaps the most widely used method is flossing. While this method of cleaning and massaging is highly effective, certain interproximal areas of teeth are concave shaped and cannot be reached with floss.
A number of prior art devices which are used for massaging the gums also effect some incidental cleaning of the interproximal areas. For example, the product STIM-U-DENT produced by Johnson and Johnson is recommended for patients who can not or will not floss. This product is made of soft, porous basswood and has a tapered, flat-bottomed wedge shape. Various other rubber wedge-shaped tips for massaging gums have also been disclosed such as the PY-CO-PAY toothbrush produced by Block Drug Company, Inc. of Jersey City, N.J. and that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,086,936 (Pounder et al). A wedged-shaped toothbrush is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 242,883 (De Marco). Due to the wedge-shape of these devices, the incidental interproximal cleaning of teeth is limited and any attempt to effect more cleaning results in the wedge being caught between the teeth.
A number of devices comprising a steel shank with a rubber tip have been disclosed in the prior art for use with a dental handpiece. The dental handpiece causes the tip to rotate and generally the tip is used for polishing amalgam restorations (silver fillings). Typical of these so called "polishing points" is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,388 (Jarby) and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,549 (Robertelli).
It has also been disclosed in the prior art to provide a steel burr in a dental handpiece where the rotation of the steel burr is used to clean calculus from the teeth. Various shapes have been proposed for these steel burrs including wedged shaped burrs and round tip burrs provided by Ellman International Manufacturing, Inc. of Hewlett, N.Y. A ribbed oblong shaped tip for use in drilling a tooth has also been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 58,631 (Gates).
The at home massaging of gums with a device similar to a prophy cup has also been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 121,506 (Davis). The toothbrush design shown in this patent includes a single prophy cup shaped member at one end of the toothbrush.
Although much attention has been directed to the massaging of gingivae and cleaning of teeth, the effective cleaning of interproximal areas of posterior teeth has not been achieved by prior art devices.